South Sudan is on the brink of renewed civil war, according to the top U.N. official in the country. Nicolas Haysom called the situation “dire” after the government’s sudden postponement of peace efforts. He emphasized that international efforts can only succeed if President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar are willing to put their people’s interests first. South Sudan, which gained independence in 2011, descended into civil war in 2013, largely fuelled by ethnic divisions between Kiir’s Dinka group and Machar’s Nuer group.
Over 40,000 lives were lost before a 2018 peace agreement brought both leaders together in a unity government. However, elections meant for 2023 were postponed to December 2024 and then again to 2026. Recent fighting between government troops and a rebel militia in the north has escalated tensions.
Earlier this month, a U.N. helicopter was targeted during a mission to evacuate troops, and the White Army captured a military garrison in Nasir. With elections approaching, competition between Kiir and Machar is intensifying, further fuelling distrust and division.
Haysom warned that the growing violence, along with misinformation and ethnic divisions, could lead to a relapse into civil war, causing the same horrors seen in 2013 and 2016. The U.N. peacekeeping mission is urging dialogue, calling on both leaders to adhere to the peace deal and resolve their differences peacefully.
